The eclipsing, double-lined, Of supergiant binary Cygnus OB2-B17
Abstract
Context. Massive, eclipsing, double-lined, spectroscopic binaries are not common but are necessary to understand the evolution of massive stars as they are the only direct way to determine stellar masses. They are also the progenitors of energetic phenomena such as X-ray binaries and γ-ray bursts.
Aims: We present a photometric and spectroscopic analysis of the candidate binary system Cyg OB2-B17 to show that it is indeed a massive evolved binary.
Methods: We utilise V band and white-light photometry to obtain a light curve and period of the system, and spectra at different resolutions to calculate preliminary orbital parameters and spectral classes for the components.
Results: Our results suggest that B17 is an eclipsing, double-lined, spectroscopic binary with a period of 4.0217±0.0004 days, with two massive evolved components with preliminary classifications of O7 and O9 supergiants. The radial velocity and light curves are consistent with a massive binary containing components with similar luminosities, and in turn with the preliminary spectral types and age of the association.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- February 2010
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1002.0707
- Bibcode:
- 2010A&A...511A..84S
- Keywords:
-
- binaries: eclipsing;
- binaries: spectroscopic;
- stars: early-type;
- stars: fundamental parameters;
- stars: evolution;
- stars: individual: Cyg OB2 B17;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 10 pages, 10 figures (1 degraded), accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics